An interesting concept really, you could almost liken it to Gangs running protection rackets. Still if I was running Windows I certainly wouldn't want it on there. Not impossible it does something they haven't discovered yet.

Its interesting to see how the computing world seems to be being turned upside down. First you had Sony - a supposedly responsible and trustworthy company - installing rootkits on peoples machines, and now you have a trojan that appears to nuke other bits of malware. I suppose its akin to the theory that you have good bacteria and bad bacteria.

Prehaps in time people will make a virus that deactivates DRM. Then we can all deactivate that part of our virus scanner and be the innocent victims who've horribly been forced into the position where their MP3's would work on any machine.

Now here's an idea for a socially-responsible virus. Imagine this: a virus that first checks to see if there is a virus-checker and enabled firewall on the system. If there isn't, it keeps popping up a window telling the user to install anti-virus/firewall software, and delivers a lecture on the dangers of unprotected systems. The only way the user can get rid of this nuisance is to install anti-virus software to zap it. If the virus is self-replicating it will slowly reduce the pool of unprotected systems. But that's only the beginning:

Stage 2 - If the virus discovers that it's host is a spam zombie it locks it up solid so that it's unusable. All the user sees is an information window. To get the machine going again the user has to get a utility which will remove the virus, all other viruses AND the trojan. It won't be long before the likes of Norton get something onto the market. In the meantime, although to the user the machine appears to be locked up, the benign virus is still propagating itself in the background across the net to other unprotected systems.

I don't think there are any logical flaws in this, but no doubt someone will soon tell me if there is. Wouldn't be surprised if one of the main anti-virus software companies might (secretly) commission such a virus. It'd be good for business.

I suppose the main flaw is that it is illegal in many countries, including the UK, to run software on a computer without the user's permission. The law doesn't differentiate between nice and nasty viruses.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

nelz wrote:I suppose the main flaw is that it is illegal in many countries, including the UK, to run software on a computer without the user's permission. The law doesn't differentiate between nice and nasty viruses.

... or even DRM schemes (Sony)

But then again, if Microsoft were to do something like this, I'm sure it would be covered by one or other of the EULAs you have to accept to get XP updates.

Oh, I agree, nelz. The idea's thoroughly illegal. I wasn't suggesting it should be done, merely exploring a pleasant hypothetical fantasy. And taking up your point about 'nice' and 'nasty', the concept of virus was originally borrowed from the field of biology. In the natural world 'nice' viruses and bacteria often mutate into something altogether not nice. But I doubt whether that would deter most virus coders. My phrase 'socially-responsible virus' is an oxymoron, or at least 'socially-responsible virus-writer' would be.

Having said that, I doubt whether notions of illegality would deter some companies.

spottedcat wrote:Now here's an idea for a socially-responsible virus. Imagine this: a virus that first checks to see if there is a virus-checker and enabled firewall on the system. If there isn't, it keeps popping up a window telling the user to install anti-virus/firewall software, and delivers a lecture on the dangers of unprotected systems. The only way the user can get rid of this nuisance is to install anti-virus software to zap it. If the virus is self-replicating it will slowly reduce the pool of unprotected systems. But that's only the beginning:

How about a return of the really nasty virus that totals your system forcing you to reinstall from scratch. All the muppets who currently don't keep their computers secure would soon be educated, after all pain is the most effective teacher of all.

Someone tried this, a kid in germany. If you search around on theregister you might be able to dig it up. He wrote a virus that was attacking and removing other virii, but he messed it up, so it was damaging ppls computers, too.

In my win OSR2 once, a few years ago, i was just calmly doing something or other when this popup flashed up on my screen. It was all in upper case red type declaring itself as representing a company called "RedSherif.com", or something to that effect.

If i went to their site i could purchase sw that would protect my computer from unsolicited sw and add popus downloading themselves. (grin) bloody hide ah !

CJLL wrote:How about a return of the really nasty virus that totals your system forcing you to reinstall from scratch. All the muppets who currently don't keep their computers secure would soon be educated, after all pain is the most effective teacher of all.

Hmm, and if they did a bit of research into viruses before reinstalling they'd reallise that they're gonna be much better off trashing their Windows installation and putting Linux on instead!

I don't get that original article. The thing is designed to wipe out all your P2P downloads, subvert your security software, and steal your head. What's "beneficial" about that? Are Sophos being sarcastic? Or do they know something we don't about the originator of the code, and daren't offend?

Anyway, why not check out your XP licensing agreement and online update settings? No Sony CDs in your collection? Not signed-up to any "beneficial" trojans or rootkits then? Phew!

"Klinger, do you know how many zoots were killed to make that one suit?" — BJ Hunnicutt, 4077 M*A*S*H

nelz wrote:I suppose the main flaw is that it is illegal in many countries, including the UK, to run software on a computer without the user's permission. The law doesn't differentiate between nice and nasty viruses.